Here Comes Goodbye
by My Whole Life Is Thunder
Summary: Things between Tony and the team have been rocky since Gibbs was shot. For the most part he ignores it and confides in his neighbors and close friends. Until he becomes deathly ill. NCIS rushes to his side but his neighbor won't have any if their crocodile tears. Can Tony and the team set things straight before it's too late? WARNING! Deathfic! Hopefully not Tony's cannon exit.
1. Prologue

Tony held the warm cup of tea, in his hands. The still near boiling liquid was the only thing keeping his trembling body warm. After a long day of digging through a dumpster in near freezing temperatures he had gotten caught in a freezing rain storm coming into his building. His hopes for a hot shower had been dashed when he saw notice pinned to every door, informing the residents that the hot water was out and wouldn't be repaired until morning. He had considered just skipping a shower and then he smelled himself. His shower was short and he had put on his warmest pajamas and even his bathrobe but it just wasn't cutting it. His body refused to warm itself even with the heat on. He had been freezing in head quarters even though Vance was fighting a cold and had the building set for Antarctica type weather. His car heater was pretty strong too and even that didn't warm him. On top of all that he had a tightness in his chest and felt just plain awful. He prayed that he was not coming down with anything. That was the last thing he needed. Getting sick was a pain in the ass before the plague but now it was a walk through hell. It took him weeks to get over what had once taken him days. His teammates wouldn't make it any easier. Ever since recovering from being shot, Gibbs had pretty much hated him and everybody was on Gibbs's side. McGee saw him as a jackass and felt that he should be the Senior Field Agent and ever since her divorce. Bishop had been reverted back to the fourth grade mentality of hating everything with a penis. Especially him. For whatever reason Tony was the enemy. Needless to say he was beyond miserable. His neighbor Ellen was a God send. She had invited him over for tea and cookies. With her boys away for the night and her daughter with grandma. She was desperate for a little company.

"Are you feeling any warmer?" Ellen asked.

"Not really" Tony replied, trying to hold in a cough.

"Do you want me to boil water for you? I will need to male it warm for Stella's bath." Ellen offered.

"No worry about Stella, I am fine." Tony replied.

"It's no trouble at all." Ellen replied.

"Thanks for the offer but it's fine really." Tony replied

"Are you alright, Tony? You seem upset. Did something happen?" Ellen asked.

"Bad day at work." Tony replied.

"Can you talk about it?" Ellen asked.

"Yeah we were looking for evidence in dumpsters around Quantico all day and you know how cold it was. I tried to get McGee and Bishop to help me but they were acting like I need to do everything if I want to be Senior Field Agent." Tony explained.

"Did you tell Gibbs?" Ellen asked.

"Yeah and he said that I need a thicker skin." Tony replied.

"Tony you need to take to HR about this." Ellen commented.

"What's the point? Everybody takes Gibbs's side all the time? I am just a jackass with a few too many sexual harassment complaints against me." Tony explained.

"Well is their anybody you can confide in?" Ellen asked.

"No even Jimmy agrees with Gibbs this time. I am public enemy number one." Tony remarked.

"That's not true. Just because your co-workers are being idiots and your boss is in clear need of therapy. Does not mean that the entire world hates you." Ellen explained.

"Right not everybody just the people I spend most of my life with any my father." Tony retorted.

"Oh Tony" Ellen sighed.

"I ju...ju ahhheheheheuhhe" Tony coughed.

"Tony are you alright?" Ellen asked.

"I'm fine" Tony wheezed.

"Are you sure? Because you sound terrible." Ellen remarked, reaching for Tony's forehead.

"I'm fine!" Tony repeated.

"Tony you are burning up." Ellen remarked.

"It's nothing" Tony replied.

"Tony I have four children and a husband who is more like a fifth child. I know when people are sick. I am going to get my thermometer." Ellen insisted.

* * *

Tony waited until Ellen was out of the room before balling up on the couch, resting his head on his arms. His head was throbbing and this room was too God dammed bright. His stomach felt like it was filled with rocks and he felt like he was standing on a boat in the middle of a category five hurricane. Actually that's about how his entire body felt. Ellen was only gone about three minutes but Tony was already falling asleep when she returned.

"Tony open your mouth." Ellen instructed.

"No" Tony argued.

"OK but neither you nor Mack would appreciate me doing it the other way." Ellen joked.

"Fine" Tony sighed opening his mouth.

"Oh My God! One hundred and four point five!" Ellen gasped.

"Must be wrong." Tony remarked, weakly.

"Men" Ellen retorted, rolling her eyes.

* * *

Before Tony had a chance to react or fight back, his stomach let out a violent groan. He knew what was going to happen before he got the taste of the leftover Chinese food he had eaten for lunch in his mouth. He bolted upright but he was too dizzy. He collapsed against the couch, his head hitting the soft back so hard that it felt as if he had hit a brick wall. He tried to sit up but he was too weak and that's how he ended up projectile vomiting all over Ellen and her brand new couch.

"Oh Tony" Ellen said sympathetically.

"I'm sorry" Tony apologized.

"It's no big deal." Ellen assured.

"But your new couch." Tony replied.

"Like I said I have four kids, one of whom is an infant, and I had hypermesis gravidarum with the last two. On top of that my husband gets motion sickness in the minivan but worships Roller Coasters. I am used to vomit. Actually I'm surprised that this couch has gone this long without getting puked on." Ellen explained.

"Everything hurts." Tony sniffed.

"Come on Tony, I am going to take you home." Ellen replied.

"I don't want to trouble you." Tony replied.

"Tony it's just fine. Mack is with Charlie and Brandon at the boy scout camp-out and Danny is at my dad's house for a special backyard camp-out because he is two weeks below the age cutoff for this camp-out." Ellen explained.

"What about Stella?" Tony asked.

"She is going to be with my mom at the Grandma/Granddaughter book club meeting for another hour at least." Ellen explained.

"You need to enjoy your alone time." Tony argued.

"I haven't been able to enjoy alone time for more than fifteen minutes in ten years." Ellen explained.

"Ellen I hate to ask this but..." Tony started.

"You need me to help you to the bathroom?" Ellen guessed.

"Sorry" Tony apologized.

"Four kids, Tony. Stop apologizing." Ellen reminded.

"You're too good to be true." Tony murmured weakly.

* * *

Tony was amazed by Ellen's patience. She ran with him as dead weight into the bathroom and stood by his side while he turned her bathroom into a third world country. By the time it was finally over his throat was raw and that wasn't even the only part that was raw. He tried to stand and ended up taking a header into the tile floor, landing in the puke pile he created before Ellen could get a bucket to him. That's when the coughing started. Violent coughs that rivaled his battle with the plague. He tried to catch his breath but the more he tried, the more he coughed. The coughing made his headache and stomachache worse. It was unbearable and that's when he started to cry.

"Ow" Tony sniffed.

"That's it, you are too sick to be on your own. You can sleep in me and Mack's bed. Stella and I will make do in the boy's room." Ellen insisted.

"I can't put you out. Besides Stella is too small for a bed." Tony argued.

"Stella can sleep in the pack and play, and I will curl up on the bunk-bed." Ellen explained.

"I don't deserve this." Tony sniffed.

* * *

Ellen got Tony cleaned up and brought him a pair of fresh pajamas from his apartment. She carried him into her and Mack's room and tucked him into bed. It was a king sized Serta memory foam. AKA pure luxury. Times like this Tony seriously regretted having that old twin. Ellen propped him up on the pillows and put a cool rag over his forehead. He was so jealous of Stella and the boys. Ellen was the mother he had always wanted and Mack was the father he had dreamed of. Another coughing fit took over his body and Ellen had to hold him up. He got sick again and Ellen dived under him with the bucket.

"Try to get some sleep." Ellen whispered.

"I'll try" Tony murmured.

"Let me know if you need to go to the ER." Ellen replied.

"I'll be fine by morning." Tony insisted.

* * *

Little did Tony know that he would not be fine by the next morning. Sure he would be feeling a little better. Well enough to walk down the hall to his own apartment and try to go to work but still pretty terrible. His rally would still be pure misery and it would be extremely short lived. He would be severely ill again very soon. This illness would not be something he could come back from. That night he spent lying in misery in Ellen's apartment was the beginning of the end. His co-workers would suddenly start to care again but it would not be worth it. He would end up teaching Ellen's boys the children he loved more than he could explain, a lesson that would break all of their hearts. Of course none of that was on his mind that night. All he was thinking about on that Tuesday night was how lucky he was to have Ellen in his life. Because times like this he really needed a family and his "family" had all but written it off. Not giving the future two seconds of thought, he closed his eyes and drifted off into a fitful and miserable sleep.

* * *

 **A/N: What do you think so far? As you have been warned this is a deathfic so either stop reading here or be warned. New chapter will be up soon. Please review and thanks for reading.**


	2. Too Far

Sitting up, in bed was a struggle for Tony the following morning. He had no memory of the night before, aside from feeling like pure crap. He had prayed that he would feel better but he didn't. At least not enough to satisfy him. His chest was still tight and he was still so dizzy that the very act of sitting up was an amazing feat. At least he wasn't spraying like a fire-hose from both ends anymore. Though given the way he felt, he would be lucky if that feeling stayed at bay. He was so out of it he didn't even realize that he was not in his own bed until he staggered out of the room and saw Ellen sitting on the couch feeding Stella. He had come out of her room. "Oh God, what did I do?" he thought to himself.

"Good you're up." Ellen remarked.

"Ellen? What am I doing here?" Tony asked.

"Oh Tony you were so sick last night. I kept you over here." Ellen explained.

"So I didn't do anything stupid?" Tony asked.

"No you did not." Ellen assured.

"Good" Tony replied.

"How are you feeling?" Ellen asked.

"I'm so dizzy and I can barely breathe. I don't want to go to work but it's only Wednesday and I can't afford to miss." Tony explained.

"Tony, it's Saturday." Ellen corrected.

"Well my team is on this week. I have to go." Tony explained.

"Tony if you are dizzy you have no business going to work." Ellen commented.

"I have to, it doesn't matter." Tony sighed, as he dizzily staggered out of the apartment.

* * *

Getting showered and dressed took two hours for Tony that morning. On top of all that by the time he got outside it was pouring again. When he got to the car he fumbled with his keys for five minutes before he could get into the car. Getting the keys in the ignition took another five. The drive to work ended up taking two hours because he had to keep pulling over and getting himself together. It was still pouring by the time he got to work and the temperature had dropped about five degrees. He struggled to get inside the building and ended up having to sit down in the elevator. Upon staggering into the squad-room he found Bishop sitting on McGee's desk, the two of them were laughing and carrying on.

"Well, well, well look who decided to show up." Bishop remarked.

"Yeah I'm sorry, I feel terrible." Tony apologized.

"Still drunk from last night." McGee joked.

"Actually no I..." Tony argued.

"Men with their excuses and lies." Bishop scoffed.

"Whatever. Hey where's Gibbs?" Tony asked.

"He is playing golf with Dr. Taft and since you decided to show up late. He left me in charge. We are supposed to run fifty laps around the building but because you are late. I am making you run one hundred." McGee explained.

"Guys I really don't think I can, I am so dizzy I can barely stand and besides it's pouring and freezing out there." Tony explained.

"Did you just get smart with McGee?" Bishop questioned.

"He did and just for that two hundred laps! No rest!" McGee barked.

"That is unreasonable." Tony commented.

"Want to shoot for four hundred?!" McGee demanded.

"Fine!" Tony snapped.

* * *

Tony struggled to get outside. It didn't help that McGee and Bishop were walking behind him making fun of him and harassing him to move faster. Each lap around the building felt as if he had run a marathon. He tried after each one to get inside but McGee and Bishop would block the door. McGee even shoved him down one time. By some miracle he managed to complete every lap. The sun was setting by the time he finally got done but he had done it. He felt so horrible that it took all of his strength just to get inside. When he got to the door he felt a swift shove and crashed down on to the floor with a great force. He looked up and saw McGee, scratch that he saw three McGee's.

"What the hell, Probie?" Tony questioned.

"I thought I told you not to come inside until you had run two hundred laps!" McGee barked.

"I did run two hundred laps!" Tony argued.

"Bullshit! I only counted one hundred and ninety-nine!" McGee bellowed.

"I ran two hundred!" Tony snapped.

"Well I missed one! So get your ass back out there and run! NOW! Before I give you another two hundred!" McGee ordered.

"Please Probie. I can barely stand, I feel so bad. Please. I will run another two hundred on Monday and you can film it. Just please... please let me go home." Tony begged, tears pouring down his face.

"Fine but only cause the baby is crying." McGee teased.

"Thank you, Probie." Tony replied weakly, ignoring the snide remark.

* * *

It was nine o'clock at night before Tony made it home and he had left Head Quarters at six o'clock in the evening. By the time he finally did get home he was so dizzy that he could no longer stand on his own. He fumbled along his car and then the handicapped rail outside the building. When he made it inside he had to stick to the wall. He let go long enough to press the button for his floor in the elevator. Bad move, because he ended up collapsing hard onto the floor and he could not pull himself up. When the elevator slid open on his floor. He had to drag himself out and inch along the floor on his stomach.

"Oh My God! Tony!" Ellen screamed.

"Elehlen" Tony slurred.

"Tony! You look terrible!" Ellen cried.

"I flll trribleele" Tony slurred.

"Come on, I will help you inside." Ellen replied.

* * *

Ellen extended her hand and helped him stand but even with the added support he could not keep vertical. As Ellen was helping him inside a strong coughing fit over took his body and he collapsed hard onto the floor, his vision blurring. The dizziness was so strong the the world appeared to be spinning around him like he was on a carnival ride. A sticky wad came out of his mouth and Ellen let out a high pitched scream. Those were the last sounds he heard before the darkness overtook his fragile body.

* * *

All Ellen could do was stand and watch in horror as her friend collapsed to the floor in the throws of a violent coughing fit. She knew that Tony had issues with his lungs. That's why she was so pissed off when she felt how wet and cold he was upon trying to help him to his apartment. She knew that those monsters he called co-workers and teammates had something to do with this. Even knowing that he had weak lungs she was not prepared for this and she certainly was not prepared for what came next. Tony began to violently hack up blood before losing consciousness. She left him on the floor, ran towards her unit, and pounded on her door. Until Mack finally answered.

"Ellen, sweetie what's wrong?" Mack asked.

"It's Tony! He's coughing up blood and he just passed out!" Ellen cried.

"You go in and stay with the boys. I will stay with him and call 911." Mack who was a paramedic instructed.

* * *

 **A/N: Don't worry McGee and Bishop will pay for what they did but will anybody from NCIS come around to Tony's side. If so who? New chapter will be up soon. Please review and thanks for reading.**


	3. Grim News

Mack grabbed his kit from off the coat hook and rushed down the hall to Tony's side. He placed the large first aide kit on the ground and got to work. The first thing he did was assess Tony's condition. All he had to do was look at Tony to know his condition was severe. Tony's skin was completely void of any color and he was almost to hot to touch. The tests confirmed that Tony's vitals were not good. The rattling in his chest was so loud they were audible without the stethoscope. Tony's heart-rate was extremely erratic. Mack stuck the thermometer in Tony's ear and pulled it a second later when it beeped. The results were so disturbing he had to take it two more times before he would believe it. One hundred and seven point eight was among the highest he had seen in his eleven year career as a paramedic. He didn't need to hear a doctor's test results to know that Tony's odds were extremely low. He called 911 and reported Tony's condition to the dispatcher. To his chagrin it would be at least twenty minutes before the ambulance arrived and that was with hims pleading to send somebody as fast as possible. Tony needed immediate and extreme medical intervention. He should have gotten help hours ago. It was a shock to him that nobody from NCIS had noticed his condition and taken him to the hospital. Ellen had said that he had gone to work early that morning and was pretty bad off then even. After having a terrible night. How on Earth did none of his co-workers see how sick he was ? Mack wished that he had his full paramedic's kit but unfortunately certain things that were kept in those kits could not leave the ambulance when he was off duty. He had made up his own kit with everything he could legally carry in the outside world. John looked at his watch Tony's ambulance was still at least ten minutes out and Tony's temperature was rising. If he didn't get cooled down soon, he would have permanent brain-damage. He jumped up, ran back to his apartment, and grabbed all four ice packs from the fridge and all the frozen vegetables he could carry into his arms and ran back to Tony's side. He lay the cool packs over Tony's body and continued to monitor Tony's vitals. When he started to cough and wheeze, Mack pulled Tony into a sitting position and held him up by wrapping his arms around Tony's waist. The coughing fit became increasingly more violent and aggressive. Until a massive wad of mucus and blood gushed out onto his legs and lap. Tony's body lurched violently to the side and he fell back to the ground with a large thud. His cheeks and hands were turning a sickly grayish blue color. The right side of Tony's face now drooped downward slightly. Again Mack checked his watch. The ambulance should have been here ten minutes ago. He knew that the dispatcher had said at least twenty minutes and for a metropolitan area on a Saturday night that was actually pretty good time but still he grew impatient and agitated. He was a paramedic and he knew that his brothers were doing the best they could to arrive but things were different right now. Right now he wasn't on the clock. He was sitting on the floor of his hallway. Left completely helpless in the care of a potentially dying man. Tony's breathing had become disturbingly shallow and his heart-rate had slowed to the point of being nearly stopped. If the ambulance didn't arrive soon, like within the next five minutes. It could very easily be too late.

"Please hang on Tony, help is on the way. Just hang on please just hang on." Mack pleaded.

The ambulance finally arrived seven minutes later. Forty-five minutes after the initial call. Tony coughed out another wad of blood. By the time they had set their gear down and gotten down on the floor beside him, he had stopped breathing.

"Not getting any respiration but I have found a very weak pulse." The first paramedic called.

"Put the tank on him and don't stop monitoring that pulse." The second paramedic ordered.

"Yes sir" The first paramedic agreed.

"What exactly happened, here Mack?" The third medic asked.

"He's my neighbor. Last night when I was out with the boys Ellen let him stay over because he was violently ill. He was feeling OK this morning and decided to go into work this morning. He's a federal agent. He got home about an hour ago and Ellen said that he was dragging himself up the hall. She went to help him and he collapsed. He's coughed up blood three times now and his face indicates a possible stroke." Mack explained.

"OK well we've got the critical care bus downstairs. We'll get him to Good Samaritan and ideally by the time he arrives, he will be stable." The third medic explained to Mack.

"Boss this card says he had the plague and we need to take him to Bethesda. Apparently his pulmonologist is there." The second medic called.

"Nobody gets the plague anymore. Let me see that. The first paramedic insisted. He was still fairly new and this was his first call in critical care.

"Don't worry about it Jane it checks out. I actually remember this man Will." The third paramedic explained.

* * *

Mack rode in the ambulance with Tony. Tony had flat-lined twice in the half hour it took to get to Bethesda. They were still trying to get him back when the ambulance came to a stop in front of the hospital. Once he was "stabilized" Tony was rushed back through the big double doors that separated the ER from the hospital's main hallway. Mack recalled watching Tony be rushed away. Wondering if this would be the last time he ever saw his friend alive. Mack called Ellen from the waiting room. She got her parents to come and stay with the kids and rushed straight over. There was still no news when Ellen arrived two hours later.

"How is he?" Ellen asked.

"He crashed twice in the ambulance and he just looks really bad. I think he had a stroke and his lungs sound terrible." Mack explained.

"Poor Tony" Ellen sighed.

"They haven't told us anything but I would say it would be wise to prepare ourselves and think of how to break the news to the boys." Mack explained.

"That's going to be a real nightmare." Ellen sighed.

"I know" Mack agreed.

* * *

Ellen buried her head in Mack's chest, and Mack wrapped his strong arm around his wife's shoulders. He was to report to work at seven forty five in the morning but that did not matter right now. Right now Tony was all that mattered. Nobody else was around to care for Tony. His co-workers didn't give a crap about him anymore and Senior had never cared. It was only him and Ellen now, and now was the time that Tony most needed support. The wait was agonizing, Ellen was in tears, and Mack was about to go find somebody who could tell him exactly what was going on. When at long last a doctor came stepped through the doors and walked towards them.

"Are you here for Anthony DiNozzo?" The doctor asked.

"Yes mam" Mack replied.

"I am Dr. Sari. I am the on call primary physician tonight." Dr. Sari explained.

"How is he?" Ellen asked.

"Can you tell us?" Mack asked.

"I actually can. Your wife is Anthony's emergency contact. A James Palmer has also been contacted but we could not directly reach him." Dr. Sari explained.

"What is his condition?" Mack asked.

"Anthony is in extremely critical condition. As we speak he is in the ICU covered in a cooling blanket and with a breathing tube down his throat. Presently the vent is working at one hundred percent and we don't seeing it being lowered anytime soon." Dr. Sari explained.

"Any idea what is wrong?" Ellen asked.

"Naturally Dr. Pitt wanted him tested for the plague before anything else was done. The plague test came back negative but the results were not good. While he does not have the plague. His X-ray showed a severe case of double pneumonia. He also tested positive for a raging respiratory infection and a large mass was found between the left and right lung. Dr. Pitt has ordered a biopsy for the first thing in the morning. If he makes it that long. Neurology evaluated him as well and I am afraid that he indeed suffered a massive stoke and is being monitored for bleeding in the bran. Our tests also showed that he suffered seven TIA's in the past twenty-four hours." Dr. Sari explained.

"TIA's? Those are strokes? How did he not know he had strokes? How did nobody notice?" Ellen questioned.

"TIA's are often very minor and unless you are at risk or are aware of the symptoms, most patients will brush them off as more minor medical problems. Which unfortunately means that many patients will end up having a full blown stroke before the incidents are noticed." Dr. Sari explained.

"What are his chances?" Mack asked, dreading the answer.

"It will be a miracle if he makes it to next week." Dr. Sari explained grimly.

"May we see him?" Ellen asked.

"Visiting hours do not begin until eight but he will already be in Pre-Op for his biopsy by then. Normally I would make an exception but we are extra strict about visitors in the ICU and with the graveness of his condition I cannot permit visitors. However you will be able to visit with him as soon as he is out of recovery. I am going to go ahead and warn you that you will have to go back one at a time and visitations must be limited to five minutes every two hours." Dr. Sari explained.

"Can we bring our boys?" Ellen asked.

"How old?" Dr. Sari inquired.

"Ten, seven, and four almost five." Ellen replied.

"I am afraid that the ICU has a very strict age policy. Nobody under sixteen is allowed back and anyone under eighteen must be with a parent or legal guardian." Dr. Sari explained.

"But you said he was probably terminal." Ellen reminded.

"Right now he is stable and if he remains stable throughout the procedure we will put him in a regular room tomorrow afternoon. I do however advise that you get any other loved ones here as soon as possible after he is moved. Because if he makes it that long, he likely will not be with us much longer. I wish that the news was better but given his state, it is a miracle he has lasted this long." Dr. Sari explained, solemnly.

* * *

 **A/N: Will Tony hang on long enough for everybody to say goodbye? Will anyone besides Mack, Ellen, and their kids even care? New chapter will be up soon. Please review and thanks for reading.**


	4. The Confrontation

**A/N: Gibbs, McGee, Bishop, and Abby are all extremely OOC.**

* * *

Dr. Brad Pitt and his nurse Emma Ingram stood over the hospital bed of Agent Tony DiNozzo. Neither wanted to load him onto the gurney and take him down to surgery. Both knew that no matter what the results showed the prognosis was not good. It had been a rough night for the NCIS agent. His blood-pressure was through the roof and his heart-rate was erratic. The right side of his body was paralyzed as a result of the stroke he had suffered the night before and he was at extreme risk for another one. Even a minor episode could prove fatal given his severely weakened state. He was now completely oxygen dependent and his kidney function was dangerously low. In short his body was failing him and cancer was probably the least of his concerns. Emma finished her evaluation and gently ran her hand down Tony's arm. As she had feared the news was far from good, it had been nothing but bad news since Tony was brought in the night before.

"How is he?" Dr. Pitt asked, though he already knew the answer.

"His vitals are terrible. Preforming the operation would be a violation of your Hippocratic Oath. He is not strong enough to come through. If by some miracle he comes back from this, the treatments would just be an extension and we both know that cancerous or benign this tumor is inoperable. We give him radiation it may shrink the tumor but we still couldn't remove it and not kill him in the process. No matter what he will be oxygen dependent and basically bed ridden for the rest of his life. I know I am the nurse and you are the doctor. I know that it is your call." Emma explained.

"I am not preforming the surgery, I am not going to let him die on a cold operating table to tell us something we have known since last night." Dr. Pitt replied.

"You know what that means." Emma sighed.

"I'll talk to his loved ones." Dr. Pitt sighed.

* * *

Ellen and Mack spent the night in the hospital. Mack had to leave for work around six-thirty but Ellen had remained in the waiting room. Tony was due to be taken back for his biopsy at any moment now and Ellen was not going to leave until she knew something. Until she could sit by his side and speak reassuringly to him in hopes of keeping his head together. Both Mack and her were racked with guilt about how Tony's illness had gone. She deeply regretted not taking him to the ER when he was so sick Friday night but as fragile as he was physically. He was still strong mentally and thus would have been able to refuse medical treatment. She could take him to the ER all she wanted but all had to do was answer a few competence questions and say that he did not want treatment and that would be that. He would be sent on his way and Ellen would be left helpless. Mack was beating himself up for not just driving Tony to the hospital the night before. Logically he knew that would have been the better option but when Tony was so sick and seemingly dying before his eyes. It took all he had to breathe for himself and give Tony the care he needed. Let alone think at all logically. Incidents like this were why people in the medical profession were barred from treating loved ones unless it were a life or death emergency. Which it had been last night and even then Mack had fucked up. Though both had strong suspicions that it was Tony's fellow agents who were at fault for his crisis.

"Ellen?" Dr. Pitt called.

"Are you done with the procedure already?" Ellen asked.

"I am not preforming the biopsy." Dr. Pitt explained.

"Why not?" Ellen asked.

"Tony is too sick for me to justify putting him through such a procedure. Last night was bad for him and he only has a four percent chance of surviving the pneumonia and infection. His organs are shutting down and we cannot get his fever down." Dr. Pitt explained.

"So what are we going to do?" Ellen asked.

"Keep him comfortable. That is all we can do." Dr. Pitt replied.

"I will call Mack." Ellen sniffed.

"OK and I am sorry. Tony is a good man. I hate that it has to end this way." Dr. Pitt apologized.

* * *

Gibbs looked up from his watch and scowled at the empty desk of his Senior Field Agent. He had called Tony and the others with the news of a case over an hour ago and Tony had still yet to show up. McGee and Bishop both lived further away from NCIS and they were already arrived and geared up. He wouldn't be so mad but this was Tony's third day in a row of being late. On top of the tardiness trend, McGee had told him that Tony had been definite and rude the day before. That Tony had pitched a huge fit about running laps. Going as far as punching him and shoving him to the ground and Bishop had backed him up. Informing him that Tony had called her the C word. When Tony finally did show up he was going to have a serious talk with his SFA and then march his ass up to the director's office. Finally he'd had enough. He flipped his phone open and dialed DiNozzo's number. His rage hit the roof when after four tries, a woman answered the phone.

* * *

Ellen had barely been able to get through calling Mack and breaking the news to him. She had called Jimmy but he had not picked up. Ellen assumed that he was either in church or sleeping in and left a message for him to call her back as soon as possible. She had just come back into the waiting room when she heard a phone ringing in her purse. She was confused until she remembered that Mack had taken Tony's phone in case somebody tried to reach him. Until now Tony had gone without so much as a spam email for boner pills. She withdrew the phone from her purse and was shocked to see that Gibbs had called not once but four times.

"Hello?"

"Who the hell is this?!"

"Ellen McKaran, Tony's neighbor."

"Oh yeah sure his neighbor. Look you tell that idiot to get his ass out of bed and to the office. He is too late to go to the field but he is going to have some serious punishment for three days of being late and the mistreatment of his fellow agents."

"Yeah I will tell him right

"You better!"

"You know you can relax. It might do you some good."

"I don't need Tony's latest floozy telling me what to do!"

* * *

Ellen was livid. She could not believe that Gibbs had treated Tony so poorly. He hadn't even asked if he was OK. He just started attacking him and assuming that she was nothing more than Tony's latest conquest. Tony didn't have the best history with woman but still it was wrong to assume that any woman he spoke with was nothing more than a floozy. He had no concern just anger. All this had happened after Ellen had been told that Tony was dying in the ICU. She was pissed and she wanted to know it. She wanted him to see the rage on her face and for him to know why exactly you did not fuck with Tony DiNozzo. Not when she was around anyway. She grabbed her purse, told a nurse to have Brad call her cell if anything happened, and stormed out of the hospital. Upon arriving at NCIS she told the security guard that she needed to speak with Jethro Gibbs right away. She was told that they were at a crime scene but an agent would escort her to him as soon as they arrived back. She was half asleep when Gibbs and his team returned two hours later. An agent escorted her to the bullpen and she stormed over to Gibbs's desk.

"May I help you?" Gibbs asked.

"That depends can you stop being an ass and tell your junior agents to stop being asses?" Ellen demanded.

"Excuse me?" Gibbs asked.

"I am Ellen, Tony's neighbor! His neighbor and nothing more!" Ellen spat.

"And Tony asked his pretty red headed neighbor to fight his battles for him." Gibbs remarked.

"Don't be so condescending. I have been married for twelve years to a paramedic who is twice the man you have morphed into." Ellen spat.

"Did you really come here just to insult me?!" Gibbs demanded.

"No! I came here to tell you that this morning when you were assuming that Tony was having sex with me. He was actually fighting for his life in a hospital bed. He has been in the ICU since last night. He has a massive tumor between his lungs and his fighting not only severe double pneumonia but also a raging infection and he has suffered eight strokes. One of which was massive. His organs are failing and his fever is not lowering. In short he is dying. Today you insulted a dying man." Ellen explained angrily.

"Tony's in the hospital?" Gibbs asked.

"Yes and none of you are allowed to see him. You have treated him horribly the past few months and the last thing he needs is more stress. Tony is dying but I want him to have as much good time as possible." Ellen explained.

"You have no rights! You have not authority! I am his Power of Attorney! If you made any medical decisions you have broken the law! I can and will have you tried and you will go to prison! Possibly for the rest of your life!" Gibbs spat.

"I have his Power of Attorney. He had it changed when you first started treating him like crap." Ellen explained.

"I would have been informed." Gibbs argued.

"He has no legal requirements to inform you of anything. I was informed and it was signed by Tony's lawyer." Ellen corrected.

"OK fine kill Tony so that I can feel bad. That is the mature thing to do." Gibbs spat.

"You are an immature ass and I don't ever want to see you again!" Ellen snapped.

* * *

 **A/N: Vance appears in the next chapter. How will he feel? New chapter will be up soon. Please review and thanks for reading.**


	5. Twenty Four

Sunday night was not kind to Tony by any means. His heart rate swung back and fourth between dangerously low and terrifyingly high. His blood pressure was through the roof and he aspirated twice. To top it off he suffered a small heart-attack and a second stroke. The doctors were astonished when he made it to morning. They were sure no fewer than five times throughout over the course of the night, that it was the end. Each time Ellen and Mack were summoned into his room. He managed to stabilize enough on Sunday afternoon to be moved to a regular private room. His condition was still grave but the regular room gave more space and freedom for his loved ones to say their final goodbyes. Which was good because on Monday morning. Ellen and Mack were told that Tony had only twenty-four hours to live and that was if he was lucky. They were told to call anyone who would want to say goodbye immediately and to bring whichever of their children they felt could handle it. Ellen called in to her teaching job and said that she had a family member very near death and would be back after he had passed. Mack had done the same for his job. They had sent Danny to daycare, and Stella was in the care of Ellen's parents, but kept Charlie and Brandon home. Though Mack would drop Brandon off at school if he didn't want to go to the hospital.

"Why are we staying home today?" Brandon asked.

"Yeah and is Tony gonna come home soon. I miss him and being in the hospital is so boring." Charlie asked, the boys had initially been told that Tony was in the hospital and would be home soon.

"That is what we needed to talk to you about. You see Tony is not coming home." Ellen explained.

"What he's going to have to stay in the hospital for a long time? Can we at least go to see him or is he in one of the parts where only grown-ups are allowed? Charlie asked.

"Well if he's gonna be in the hospital a long time we should have a party for him. My boy-scout troop did that when Joey Anders had cancer and had to be in the hospital for months." Brandon suggested.

"No boys what your mother is trying to say is that Tony is never going to come home." Mack replied.

"He's moving?" Brandon asked innocently.

"No! Don't you understand dummy! He's dying! Tony's dying!" Charlie snapped.

"Charlie, how about you go to your room and we will come to talk to you in a minute." Ellen asked somewhat forcibly.

"OK" Charlie sighed.

* * *

Charlie pulled himself off the couch and slumped off to the bedroom he shared with his brothers. Ellen's heart was breaking for her eldest son. As traumatic as Tony's death would be for all three boys. It would be hardest on Charlie. At ten almost eleven years old he was the only one who fully grasped the concept of death. He was the only one who could recall an experience with death. Mack's father had died of prostate cancer when he was seven. Brandon was only three at the time and only knew of his grandfather through stories. Now Brandon would have his first experience with Death and Danny would likely not remember. It would be nearly impossible for, four month old Stella to remember really remember Tony. She would only know him through stories. It broke Ellen's heart. The boys would not be losing a neighbor, they would be losing an uncle. Mack and her would not be losing a friend, they would be losing a brother. Tony had been a part of the family's life for nearly eleven years now. Ellen had met him the day Charlie was born and they had bonded instantly. They bonded so closely that they picked him as Charlie's, God Father. He was God Father to all four children and now he was dying.

"Is it true?" Brandon asked, after a pregnant pause.

"I am afraid so." Ellen replied.

"Is it something I did?" Brandon asked.

"No, sweetie. Tony is just sick, very sick. He's had health problems for a while now and it just got really bad this weekend. His body is giving up on him, there is nothing the doctors can do." Ellen explained.

"Tony had asthma, like me. Am I going to get sick and die, too?" Brandon asked.

"No sweetie. Tony and you both have asthma but Tony got really sick once before and it did a lot of damage to his body." Ellen explained.

"Can I go see him or is he too sick?" Brandon asked.

"You and Charlie can come with us but it will have to be a short visit and you will have to be really quiet." Ellen explained.

"OK" Brandon replied.

"You also need to know that Tony is very sick and his appearance is a little scary." Mack added.

"Are you sure you want to go?" Ellen asked.

"I don't know. Can I think about it and maybe go tomorrow or the next day?" Brandon asked.

"No, Tony is really sick. He may not be here tomorrow." Ellen explained.

"It has to be today. Do you want to come or go over to grandma's with Stella?" Mack asked.

"I want to go." Brandon replied.

"OK get your shoes and coat, while your dad and me talk to your brother." Ellen instructed.

"OK" Brandon sighed.

* * *

Charlie sat on the top bunk of the bed he shared with Brandon. He reached over and looked down at Danny's toddler bed and saw the Teddy Bear Tony had bought for him. It was a soft gray and wore a red t-shirt that read "Ohio State Buckeyes" in shiny white letters. Stella had a little pink bear that wore gray shirt with the same phrase and a sparkly red tutu, and Brandon had one that was like Danny's but the bear was red and the shirt was gray. Charlie used to have a brown one that was dressed like a football player. He loved it but he brought it to a sleepover last year and the boys all teased him. Saying that stuffed animals were for babies. So he had put it and most of his other stuffed animals in the donation bag for poor children. He had instantly regretted it but he wanted to be a big boy. Now he really regretted it. Because it was gonna be all he had left of Tony. He jumped from the top bunk even though he had been told never to do that. Just as the door to his room opened and his parents walked in.

"Reginald Charlemagne McKaran!" Ellen scolded.

"Sorry" Charlie apologized.

"Just don't do it again." Mack warned.

"How are you feeling?" Ellen asked.

"Sad" Charlie admitted.

"Do you want to talk?" Ellen asked.

"What's wrong with Tony? Why is he dying? He was OK last week. He helped Brandon practice his knots and me practice with my knife. Now he's dying. Why?" Charlie asked.

"You remember the story about the day you were born?" Mack asked.

"You were at work and mom went into labor two weeks early. She tried to call you but you were in an ambulance. So mom was going to go to the hospital. She doubled over with a contraction and Tony found you in the hall. He drove you to the hospital and coached you in delivery because dad was not back from work yet." Charlie recalled.

"Well the reason Tony was home in the middle of the day on Thursday was because he had just gotten out of the hospital a week before and couldn't go back to work for another two." Ellen explained.

"So Tony was sick before?" Charlie asked.

"Yes he had the plague." Mack replied.

"The plague? Seriously?" Charlie asked.

"Yes he got it at work." Ellen replied.

"Anyway Tony had the plague and he got pretty sick and almost died. You know that he survived but he had scars on his lungs and a few other problems. He managed to be OK until now. He has a tumor in his lungs along with pneumonia and a severe infection. He's had a heart attack and two massive strokes." Ellen explained.

"So Tony's been sick my whole life and I never knew?" Charlie asked.

"He didn't like to talk about being sick. It was terrifying for him." Ellen replied.

"It's not fair. It's not fair!" Charlie cried.

"Oh Charlie" Ellen whispered.

"Will I even be able to say goodbye or is he too sick?" Charlie asked.

"We are taking Brandon to say goodbye. Tony is too sick to talk to you or wake up but he can hear you." Ellen explained.

"If you are up to going that is. Tony isn't going to make it much longer. So if you want to go. It will have to be today." Mack added.

"I want to go." Charlie insisted.

"Get your shoes and coat on." Mack instructed.

* * *

McGee sat with his feet on his new desk. He could not believe that he was finally Senior Field Agent. Gibbs had put in to have Tony removed from his team and that put McGee as the new second in command. A position he should have earned years ago. Tony was too damned immature. He hadn't shown up for the case yesterday and then his "neighbor" had claimed that Tony was on life-support and she was his Power of Attorney. Gibbs had flipped a gasket and now McGee finally had the position he deserved. Bishop had moved to his desk and McGee had already vowed to do away with the childish hazing rituals. Gibbs had gone for coffee, and McGee and Bishop were relishing in their new roles. In the new dynamic of the team.

"McGee! Bishop! MY OFFICE NOW!" Vance barked.

"Did you hear that?" Bishop asked.

"Yeah I bet that he is going to congratulate us. Maybe even give us bonuses." McGee commented.

"Back at the NSA we got nice bottles of wine with promotions." Bishop explained.

"Nice!" McGee cried.

* * *

McGee and Bishop leaped out of their desks and raced up to the director's office. Both had visions of sizable bonus checks and awards in mind. Neither ever imagined that Vance would find any wrong in them. Vance liked agents like them. They were the future of the agency, of the world. They got up to the office and were shocked by the scowl they received from the director's, secretary. They were even more surprised when the opened the door and saw Vance standing in front of his desk, a look of pure rage on his face.

"Sit down! Now both of you!" Vance ordered.

"Director you seem upset." McGee remarked.

"Yeah, what's wrong?" Bishop asked.

"Your damn right that I am upset and you should know what is wrong!" Vance snapped.

"I bet you are mad at Tony well..." McGee started.

"Shut your mouth or I will shut it for you, Agent McGee!" Vance barked.

"Hey! What was that about! He didn't do anything wrong!" Bishop warned.

"He did plenty wrong and so did you! Now shut up both of you!" Vance ordered.

"Typical man. Bishop whispered.

"Imagine my anger when after being in bed all weekend with a nasty cold. I arrive to work today still not a hundred percent and praying for an easy day. Only to have a very infuriating security tape from the weekend, waiting on my desk." Vance explained.

"When Tony shoved me down?" McGee guessed.

"And called me the C-Word?" Bishop reminded.

"I tell you that I have the tape and you have the nerve to lie to me?! I saw the tape! I know that you forced Tony to run two hundred laps around the building, in the freezing rain. Even after he told you that he was sick and struggling to breathe." Vance explained.

"We had to run laps." McGee reminded.

"Gibbs had you run fifty laps in much more favorable conditions and you were allowed to rest every fifth lap. You could also have water and bathroom breaks." Vance explained.

"Yes and Gibbs left me in charge. He told me to deal with DiNozzo and when Tony got smart with me. I took action. I quadrupled the laps he had to run and I refused him rest to teach him a lesson. In my eyes I did no wrong. I was being a leader." McGee explained.

"What you did was deliberate abuse. It was cruel and unusual. If me or any team lead had done it. We would be fired and tried for abuse. Well it is no different for you and Bishop." Vance explained.

"Whoa Tony abuses and hazes us for years and nothing. Tony gets a little sick from a punishment. A PUNISHMENT! And we get the book thrown at us! How is that just!" Bishop demanded.

"Agent DiNozzo is dying in the hospital from double pneumonia and a severe respiratory infection. He had a series of minor strokes from the lack of oxygen that led to a major one." Vance explained.

"Oh please! Like we caused his illness. Tony has lung problems." McGee retorted.

"And yet you made him run around the building in the freezing rain. You denied him rest and water. You would not allow him in the building." Vance rebutted.

"This is bullshit!" Bishop raged.

"Sit down!" Vance ordered.

"What are you going to do to us?" McGee asked.

"First of all I am going to make you watch the security footage. To see what you put Tony through. Secondly Agents Monroe and Carter are waiting to take you down to supervise you clearing out your desks. You are both terminated and forbidden from contacting each other or anybody else from NCIS. You will be contacted to report for a formal hearing. If DiNozzo dies you will both be facing charges of manslaughter against a federal agent. When you clear your desks be sure to get everything because not only are barred from communicating with each other or anybody else from NCIS but you are also banned from the property until your separate hearings." Vance explained, harshly.

* * *

It was late Monday morning before Jimmy received word of Tony's illness and grim prognosis. It was the anniversary of Breena's mother's death and he accompanied her and her father to Florida, to pay his respects. Jimmy had accidentally left his phone behind and Breena kept hers off for most of the weekend. Even if Jimmy had, had his phone the anniversary was always difficult for Breena and Jimmy needed to be available to console her. He plugged his phone in as soon as he arrived two and unplugged it at four. He sat down expecting to take a couple of turns in "Words With Friends" and reply to a few emails and texts. Instead he was shocked to see missed calls from Bethesda and from Tony's neighbor Ellen. He immediately called Ellen back fearing the worst. Her words hit him like a ton of bricks and it took all he had not to breakdown. He got the necessary information and buried his head in his hands.

"Jimmy, what's wrong?!" Breena cried, running into the room.

"Tony's been in the hospital since Saturday night. He had double pneumonia, a respiratory infection, a tumor on his lungs, he's had two strokes and a heart-attack. They don't even know how he is still alive but it won't be long." Jimmy sobbed.

"Oh Jimmy" Breena whispered.

"I need to get to the hospital." Jimmy replied.

"Let's go." Breena replied.

"What about Tori?" Jimmy asked.

"I'll drop him off at my dad's." Breena replied.

* * *

Anthony DiNozzo Senior sat on the couch in his penthouse. He slammed his phone down on the table and slammed his fist into the pillar behind him. He had been trying to get a hold of the worthless son of his all weekend. Finally he picked his phone back up and logged into Facebook. He immediately saw a post from Junior that apparently was made by that hot piece off ass who lived down the hall from him.

" _Tony DiNozzo Jr. "This is Ellen McKaran, I am Tony's neighbor and very close friend. It is with a very heavy heart that I make this post. On Saturday night Tony was rushed to the hospital after being ill for over twenty-four hours. He was initially diagnosed with pneumonia and a respiratory infection. He suffered a stroke in the ambulance, he had a second stroke and heart-attack last night. He also has a massive tumor between his lungs. There is no hope for him, my husband and I have already said our goodbyes and my boys will be saying goodbye tonight. If he lives through the night, my husband and I will stand by his side as his breathing tube is removed and his heart beats for the last times." 3:15 PM"_

* * *

DiNozzo Senior placed his phone back on the table and huge smile spread across his face. Junior was dying and the last he had checked, his will was not finalized. All he had to do was get a good lawyer and he could get every penny his son had to his name. Come to think of it there probably wasn't time for a lawyer. If they were taking Junior off of the breathing tube in the morning. He needed to act quickly. He would have to convince that Ellen broad that he was in need of financial assistance. She looked easy. He could probably do that with the first Anthony DiNozzo Junior.

* * *

 **A/N: I think this is the longest chapter I have ever written. Everybody says goodbye in the next chapter and yes Senior will try to seduce Ellen. New chapter will be up soon. Please review and thanks for reading.**


	6. The Last Night

The end of visiting hours were rapidly approaching, and Ellen and Mack were maintain their vigil over there friend. Tony's breathing tube would be removed first thing in the morning and that would be it. They would never talk to him or hold his hand again. Ellen was really struggling with the idea of losing her best friend. Tony had been a fixture in her life since the day Charlie was born. He had been the first one to hold all four of her babies. Mack cut the cord and then the doctor handed them to Tony. Mack had missed Charlie's birth but she had asked him about it after Danny was born. Why had her allowed another man to be the first to hold his sons. Even the two whom he had been present for the births. Mack told her that he just had a feeling that Tony needed to hold the babies more than he did. Ellen couldn't help but wonder if Mack somehow knew that Tony would die without ever holding his own children. Tony had adored those babies so much. He always went all out on the kids birthdays and Christmases. He would always dress up as Santa and shower the kids with gifts on Christmas Eve. It wasn't just the gifts. He was at almost every one of Charlie's peewee football and basketball games, Brandon's piano recitals, and Danny's T-Ball games. He spoke to each of the boys scout troops and classes about law enforcement. Making sure to take extra time with the kids who expressed concern about police officers. He was such a sweet guy, he didn't deserve to die this way. He should have grown old and died peacefully in his sleep surrounded by his adoring family. Ellen didn't want the boys there when Tony died but Mack and her would be there. Mack remained in the room with Tony while Ellen collected the boys.

"Are you boys ready to see Tony?" Ellen asked her boys.

"Yeah!" Danny cried, he was too little to fully understand that Tony was dying.

"Yes" Brandon sighed.

"I suppose." Charlie whispered.

"Come along boys." Ellen instructed.

* * *

Ellen put her arms around Brandon and Danny's shoulders, Charlie walked apart from the group. A look of grief written on his face. Taking the boys to say goodbye to their Uncle Tony was the hardest thing Ellen had ever had to do. Part of her regretted telling them. She didn't want them to have to face this kind of pain but that wouldn't be fair. They deserved the opportunity to say goodbye. Ellen slowly opened the door to Tony's room and led the children inside. As they entered Mack stood with his hand in Tony's hand, tears pouring down his face. He softly kissed Tony's hand and then moved away. Ellen walked over and picked up Tony's hand.

"Hey Tony, I brought the boys. They are here to say goodbye. God I am going to miss you so much. You were so wonderful." Ellen spoke.

"Hi Tony, it's Charlie. I am going to miss you so much. You are the reason I play sports and want to be a cop when I grow up." Charlie said.

"Hi Tony, it's Brandon. I'm gonna miss you. I'll remember you any time I play piano." Brandon said.

"Bye Tony" Danny replied simply.

"Come on boys lets give your mom some alone time with Tony." Mack said after a while.

"I don't want to leave." Brandon argued.

"I know but it's getting late and you three haven't even had dinner yet." Mack replied.

"I'm not hungry." Charlie whined.

"At least have some milk." Mack replied.

"Fine!" Charlie snapped.

"I love you boys and Tony loved you too. Grandma is staying with you guys again. Your dad and I are going to stay here in case Tony needs us." Ellen explained.

* * *

For a long time Jimmy sat in the car outside of the hospital. He knew that he needed to say his final goodbyes to Tony but he couldn't bring himself to go inside. He was dreading saying goodbye. Because goodbye meant that Tony would really, truly be gone forever. He had been such a jerk to Tony in the end. He had sided with Gibbs when Gibbs was being a jackass. He was part of the reason Tony was lying in that bed. He had ignored his friend and now it was over. Now Tony was moments away from gone. It wasn't right. It just wasn't. He wanted to say goodbye but he doubted that Ellen would really let him inside. He didn't deserve it after the way he had acted. Sure Ellen had called him but he was such an ass.

"Jimmy my dad is going to be going to bed soon and visiting hours are over in half an hour. If you want to say goodbye. You need to do it fast." Breena explained.

"I can't do it. I can't do it." Jimmy sniffed.

"They are taking him off life support first thing in the morning. It's now or never." Breena reminded.

"I can't. Just can't. I don't deserve to say goodbye and it hurts too much to think about going in and saying goodbye." Jimmy explained.

"Jimmy you need to say goodbye. I am going to get Victoria and I will pick you up soon." Breena insisted.

"OK" Jimmy sighed, opening the door and climbing out of the car.

* * *

Jimmy crossed his arms over his chest and slowly made his way down the halls of Bethesda. He came to the stop in front of Tony's room. For a long time he just stood in front of the door, studying the faded black numbers _314_. sighing he pushed down the handle, the door opened and he slowly made his way inside. Ellen was sitting by the bed. Jimmy had never seen somebody look as destroyed as Ellen did in this moment. Upon seeing him Ellen stood and silently made her way out of the room. Jimmy walked over and took the seat by Tony's bed. He picked up his friend's hand. How could he have missed how thin Tony had gotten. He was practically skeletal. Even given how sick Tony was. He had only been sick for a few days or so Jimmy thought. Ellen had said that Tony had a huge tumor in his lungs. While tumors could grow fast. They didn't just show up over night. Though Tony's must have grown pretty rapidly if Dr. Pitt hadn't noticed it at his last exam. Come to think of it when had Tony last been to Dr. Pitt? Jimmy couldn't recall him taking a day off in months. That's when it hit him. Tony could have had a chance, if he hadn't of been such a jackass. If he had supported Tony rather than siding with Gibbs and the others. Tony's blood was on his hands as much as it was on everyone else's.

"I am sorry Tony and goodbye." Jimmy whispered, taking one last look at his friend.

* * *

Gibbs was beyond pissed as he frantically worked on his latest project. Ellen was still claiming that Tony was at death's door. He knew that was a flat out lie. Tony was a billion times stronger than, that bitch was saying. She probably just wanted something out of him. He made a mental note to be at the hospital in the morning. If he could help it that God Dammed breathing tube would not be removed and Tony would continue receiving treatment until either he recovered or Gibbs felt that Tony had no more fight left in him. As if his rage about Tony was not major enough. He had returned to work to find that McGee and Bishop had been fired and nobody would tell him what for.

"Gibbs!" Vance bellowed from the staircase.

"What do you want? Have you come to tell me why two of my agents have been fired?" Gibbs demanded.

"McGee and Bishop have been fired for the way they treated Tony. Something that we are going to discuss first thing in the morning." Vance explained.

"First thing in the morning I will be seeing to it that Tony's breathing tube is not removed." Gibbs growled.

"Tony has it on the record that he does not want to live if he has no hope for a productive life. His lungs are destroyed and his other organs are rapidly failing." Vance explained.

"Fine! Take her side! Anyway we need to talk." Vance barked.

"About what?!" Gibbs demanded.

"About you!" Vance snapped.

"What about me?" Gibbs questioned.

"Ever since you got back after being shot you have been a colossal jackass. At first I let it slide because I thought you were having trouble adjusting but it never got better. Now because of your attitude. Because you left your team to go play golf with your buddy Dr. Taft. Because you are having a midlife crisis or something. Your junior agents walked all over Tony and now he is dying. I went against my better judgment letting you back and now I am regretting it. Two of your agents are facing manslaughter charges and your third is dying. All because of you. I have a meeting with SecNav Porter and if I lose my job because you cannot pull your head out of your ass. There will be hell to pay for you." Vance explained harshly.

"Shut-up Leon and get out. I am going to save Tony tomorrow. You will be fine and Tony can talk things out with Bishop and McGee!" Gibbs argued.

"Don't you ever tell me to shut-up again. For that and skipping work on Saturday you are suspended until I feel you are ready to return. If ever." Vance declared.

"FINE!" Gibbs snapped.

* * *

Visiting hours had ended and Ellen was walking up and down the main halls feeling completely numb. Mack and her were taking turns sitting in Tony's room. His fever had shot up to one hundred and eight. His organs were basically cooking inside of him but it did not matter. The longest he would live would be shortly after eight the following morning. Though Ellen suspected that it would happen sooner than that. She could not handle this. She could not bury her best friend. As she was approaching the waiting room the doors swung open and the last person she wanted to see stormed in.

"What are you doing here?" Ellen hissed.

"I am here to say goodbye to my son." Senior replied innocently.

"Oh really?" Ellen questioned.

"Yes Tony is my son. Not that you care. You didn't tell me. I had to find out from that damn Facebook post. He has been in the hospital for days and you are taking the breathing tube out first thing in the morning." Senior explained.

"When was the last time you called your son?" Ellen asked.

"Why just last night." Senior lied.

"That is the biggest load of bullshit I have ever heard. I have had Tony's phone since Saturday night and there are zero missed calls from you." Ellen rebutted.

"Well he must have changed his number." Senior commented.

"Tony has had the same number for ten years." Ellen argued.

"Well it must not have gone through. Because I love that boy. If he could talk he would tell you that I am always there for him." Senior argued.

"Really? Because according to Tony it has been almost a year since you last spoke." Ellen corrected.

"OK fine you are going to be that way. Just let me know when the will is read." Senior sighed.

"The will?! What makes you think that you are getting anything?" Ellen demanded.

"He is my son and the last I checked he has no beneficiary." Senior explained.

"I have been the executor of Tony's estate for the past five years. I have been present each time he amended his will and proof read it each time." Ellen explained.

"You have so what did he leave me?" Senior asked.

"Your son is dying and that is all you care about is the money?" Ellen demanded.

"You would not let me near him. Besides Junior is nothing more than a lump in the sheets anymore. Anyway what did he leave me?" Senior begged.

"Tony is your son, the son you never cared for. He left you absolutely nothing. Not a cent. He left everything to my family and Jimmy Palmer. He did leave a thousand dollars to each member of his team and a hundred dollars to you but there was a clause that if you made a scene you got nothing and if the team mistreated him they got nothing as well." Ellen explained.

"You have been the one making the scene!" Senior snapped.

"Get out of here before I call the police." Ellen warned.

"Can't we work something out?" Senior asked innocently, as he grabbed Ellen by the wrist and violently dragged her towards him.

* * *

Ellen tried to fight but Senior was simply too strong. He drug her closer and closer. She had seen enough movies to know what was coming next. She shuddered at the thought of that man being inside her. At least he couldn't get her pregnant. A scientific fact he was eternally grateful for. Senior yanked his zipper down and Ellen closed her eyes. Suddenly there was a scream and a thud. She opened her eyes and saw Senior lying on the floor his hand on his head. She looked up and saw Mack standing over Senior his phone case was broken but Senior was down.

"Ellen are you alright?" Mack asked, voice filled with concern.

"Yeah I'm fine." Ellen assured.

"I am so glad that he didn't hurt you." Mack replied.

"Me too" Ellen sniffed.

"What was he doing here? Why was he trying to rape you?" Mack questioned.

"He wanted me to give him Tony's money. He thought that violating me would make me give in and give him Tony's money. He didn't care about his son. He just wanted more money." Ellen explained.

"I'm calling the cops." Mack insisted.

"Good" Ellen replied darkly.

* * *

 **A/N: Senior's lucky Mack didn't kill him. He would have gotten off easy if he had. New chapter will be up soon. Please review and thanks for reading.**


	7. The Bitter End

As much as she tried, Ellen could not shake her encounter with DiNozzo Senior. It wasn't even the trauma of nearly being raped. That was devastating and horrible but Mack and the boys would have gotten her through it. What had got to her was seeing that Senior only cared about his son's money. He wondered why she didn't call him. Well that was why. What kind of father heard that his only child was on his death bed and was only interested in the payout. At least Senior had been hauled off to the county jail and it was doubtful that he would get out anytime soon. Not only was he charged with trying to assault Ellen but he was also busted for drunk driving. Which led to charges of public intoxication and disturbing the peace. The most serious charge however was violating the order of protection Tony had filed against him. Ellen thought back to a night just before Stella was born. Mack was at work and she heard screams and crashes coming from Tony's apartment. The next morning she saw him in the elevator, he looked frazzled and he had a black eye. Ellen asked him about it but he lied and said that he had been injured at work. Now she knew the horrible truth. Tony's prick of a father had hit him. If Senior hadn't of already been hauled off by the police, she would have beaten that scumbag to a pulp right there. At least Senior was locked up and Tony's "teammates" were barred from going anywhere near Tony. Tony was finally safe and could die in peace.

* * *

Shortly after the interaction with DiNozzo Senior, Tony's condition took a drastic downturn. The doctors said that Tony likely would not last to have his breathing tube removed. Ellen considered it briefly but remembered Jimmy saying that he may return in the morning. So she politely declined. Instead Mack and her took two hour shifts sleeping in the chair in Tony's room. While the other stayed awake and sat by Tony's side. By some miracle Tony held on until morning.

"I can't believe that he is still here." Ellen whispered sitting up on the couch.

"I know it is amazing. He must be waiting for something or somebody." Mack replied.

"He must if he's held on this long. I just wish I could ask who or what he wanted." Ellen sighed.

"Me too, I would love to provide him with whatever he wanted. So that he could finally let go. He is so miserable." Mack explained.

"Maybe I should call my mom and have her bring Stella." Ellen suggested.

"No! I don't want Stella in a hospital yet." Mack insisted.

"Yeah you're right. Though we could have my mom put her on the phone." Ellen explained.

"That's a good idea." Mack agreed.

* * *

It was a quarter til eight. Only fifteen minutes until the doctors were to remove Tony's breathing tube. Mack and Ellen had Stella say goodbye to Tony in her baby talk. Afterwords Ellen needed air and Mack had to call his boss and remind him that he would be late. Ellen felt terrible leaving Tony but Mack really needed to call his boss before nine and she desperately needed a break. After spending ten hours sleeping in shifts and watching her friend die. She just needed to breathe and then she felt terrible for breathing. Tony would never breathe again. She felt sick and lost. Sitting on the bench outside the hospital crying and praying for a miracle. Tony had hung on this long. Maybe when they took out the tube he would just start breathing on his own. She had heard of that happening. Maybe it would happen with Tony. The stroke he had suffered was a bad one and the recovery would be long but Ellen and her family would care for him. Mack and her could make due with the sofa bed in the living room and they could move Stella in with the boys. Yeah that's what they would do. Her parents still had the wheelchair and medical equipment from when her dad had his back surgery. Except there wouldn't be any miracles. Tony had his third stroke during the night and was now brain-dead. The only thing keeping him alive was the machines. Five more minutes until they pulled the tube. Ellen needed to get back in there. Though that was the last place in the world she wanted to be.

* * *

Gibbs rushed down the halls of Bethesda. The receptionist would not give him Tony's room number but he had gotten McGee to snoop around on BookSpace, MyBook or whatever the hell it was called. To get the dirt. Tony was out of the ICU so there was nothing stopping Gibbs from getting into Tony's room. He had been all over the regular ward until at long last he spotted _DiNozzo, Tony_ scrawled on one of the plates beside the door. He turned down the knob and stepped inside. There was no way in hell he was going to let those pricks kill Tony. They just wanted his money or his real-estate. They had no interest in the Federal Agent's life. He walked towards the bed and was horrified by what he saw. Tony lie on the bed, his eyes sunken, his hair matted down, his skin a sickly palish gray. His body was covered by tubes and wires. In short Ellen was right, she was not just trying to take advantage of Tony. He really, truly was dying and Gibbs had realized it too late.

"Hey you can't be in here!" Dr. Pitt bellowed.

"No I just need to say goodbye." Gibbs argued.

"You had all weekend to say goodbye!" Mack hissed.

"I only just found out on Sunday." Gibbs snapped.

"Well you still had two days and instead of caring you accused my wife of being a whore and called Tony an idiot. Well Ellen and I are Tony's caregivers now and we have the right to turn away visitors. We are turning you away and if you don't get lost and let Tony die in peace. We will call the police. We already arrested Senior for messing with Tony." Mack explained, harshly.

"No! Don't make me go! Please! No!" Gibbs cried as two security guards put their hands around his arms and drug him kicking and screaming from the room. "He's my son! My son! Please! Let me say goodbye! Please! Tony! I love you! Tony! Goodbye, Tony! I love you! Toonnnyyyyyyyy!" he cried as he was drug down the hall.

* * *

Mack showed no sympathy to Leroy Jethro Gibbs. he had, had his chance to say goodbye to Tony and he had blown it. Hell he was the reason Tony was dying. If he had just stayed at the office and controlled his team. Tony may have gotten a few extra months. Now he was dying months early and a far more agonizing death than he deserved. He was beyond relieved that Jethro was long gone before Ellen returned. His wife walked into the room looking the worst he had ever seen her. Even worse than after they lost the baby. He would give anything to take her pain away. To take away the pain that the boys were suffering. Most importantly he wished that he could take Tony's pain away.

* * *

Ellen reentered Tony's room. She pulled the second chair over to Tony's bedside. Dr. Pitt walked over to Tony's bedside. He gently ran his hands down Tony's arm and stroked his face, he leaned in and whispered his goodbyes. Then taking a deep breath and holding back tears he gently removed the tube from Tony's throat. A gasp escaped from Tony's throat and Ellen swore that his eyes opened. Then it happened. Tony's heart monitor let out a ear pitching and soul crushing beep, and that was it. Anthony DiNozzo Junior. Beloved friend and uncle died at only forty-three years old. Without saying a word Dr. Pitt; turned off the heart monitor, gave a sympathetic look, and left the room.

* * *

There was no immediate need for Tony's bed. So the doctor's and nurses allowed Mack and Ellen to take their time saying goodbye. For a long time the couple sat in silence. Ellen with her face buried in Mack's shoulder and Mack with his hand resting on Tony's still and cooling arm. Neither wanted to admit that Tony was dead. Nor did they want to leave his side. For as soon as they left him. The doctors would take his body down to the morgue and he truly would be gone.

"Oh Mack what are we going to do?" Ellen asked.

"There is nothing we can do Ellen. He is gone." Mack replied.

* * *

Mack had to be at work at noon, barely four hours after Tony had flat-lined. He would not be home until midnight and he was beyond grateful for the mandatory minimum of twenty-four hours between shifts. Because he needed that time to mourn and he knew that it would be days before sleep found him again.

* * *

With Mack at work until late that night. It fell to Ellen to break the news to the boys that Tony was dead and to call Jimmy. All four already knew that Tony was dying but that didn't make it any easier. Ellen would give anything to run away from all this pain but that would not be right. The boys and Jimmy had to know and it's not like Tony could have run from his pain. Ellen returned from the hospital at one in the afternoon and the older boys got home from school at two forty-five. For the hour and forty-five minutes that she waited. She lie on the couch with her face buried in one of the pillows. Relieved that her mom was around to care for Danny who had been home since twelve thirty and Stella. She struggled to pull herself together when the boys walked through the door but somehow she managed to do it.

"Charlie, Brandon come over here. Charlie get Danny for me." Ellen called.

"OK mom" Charlie replied.

"Sit down" Ellen instructed once the boys were in front of her. Charlie and Brandon sat on the floor and Danny climbed up beside her on the couch. She wrapped her arm around Danny and looked down mournfully at Charlie and Brandon.

"What's wrong, mom?" Charlie asked.

"Is Tony OK?" Brandon asked.

"Tony coming?" Danny asked.

"Boys I have some really tragic news for you. Tony died this morning at eight o'clock. Your dad and I were with him and he went very peacefully. His body simply could not fight anymore." Ellen explained, tears falling from our eyes.

"What's dead?" Danny asked.

"It means that we won't see Tony again." Brandon explained.

"No! He's not dead! He's just sick! He'll be home soon! I will call him on my phone and that will prove it!" Charlie snapped jumping up and running into his room.

* * *

Ellen's heart shattered all over again, as she watched Charlie run off. She wanted noting more than to hug her eldest son and tell him that it would be OK, but she knew that would be a terrible idea. Right now Charlie needed to mourn on his own, and as long as he did not harm himself or anyone else. She could not get involved. Danny climbed off the couch and went back to playing with his army guys. He was too young to fully grasp the magnitude of the situation and Ellen knew better than to force the toddler to be sad. Brandon took his brother's spot on the couch and buried his face in his mom's side. He cried and cried. He was old enough to understand, his heart was shattering, and he needed his mom. Ellen just prayed that she would be able to handle her son's pain. Because she could barely get a grip on her own heartbreak. The cruel irony was that Tony was the only one who could have helped her and the boys feel even close to human again.

"Why did you leave Tony? Don't you know that we still needed you? How are we supposed to go on without you? You shouldn't have died so young. It's not fair. It's not fair. It's just not fair!" Ellen cried, tears pouring from her eyes, her heart so heavy that it hurt to move.

* * *

 **A/N: Tony's gone, how will Ellen and her family cope? Ellen encounters the team in the next chapter. New chapter will be up soon. Please review and thanks for reading.**


	8. The Big Confrontation

Nobody in the McKaran household got any sleep the first night after Tony's death. Mack got home from work around two in the morning, changed into his pajamas, and walked into his room. He found that all three boys were curled up in Ellen's arms. Ellen was on her back, her eyes closed only because they were so red and puffy they had fused shut. Brandon and Danny were curled up under Ellen's right arm. Danny was curled up between Ellen and Brandon. Danny appeared to be asleep but when Mack got closer it became apparent that he was awake albeit barely. Brandon's eyes were red and puffy like his mom's but were not yet stuck shut. Charlie had his head rested on Ellen's left arm, he was wide awake and still crying. Mack looked over at Stella's crib and saw that even the infant was awake and seemed troubled. He checked her over and found that she was dry, comfortable, and not hungry. She was just picking up on her family's pain. Mack held her in his arms for a moment before climbing into bed himself. Like with his wife and children, even though he was exhausted. Mack could not get to sleep. The next morning despite being totally exhausted both Brandon and Danny chose to go to school as usual but Charlie wanted to stay home. That afternoon Ellen, Mack, and Charlie sat around the table making plans for Tony's funeral. Stella sat in her high-chair watching the event take place before her.

"So what paper should we publish Tony's obituary in?" Mack asked.

"I want to put it in the Baltimore Sun but I want to wait until after the service. I don't want them showing up." Ellen explained.

"OK well do you want to put it anywhere before?" Mack asked.

"I can't think of anywhere. I am going to email Tony's college newsletter, the police stations he used to work for, and the few friends of Tony's I trust. I am going to insist that nobody tell his teammates or released the details publicly." Ellen explained.

"Smart idea but it is sad that we have to resort to it." Mack sighed.

"What about the funeral? What home do you want to use? Should we do a church service?" Mack asked.

"Breena said that she could get us the family discount at Slater's." Ellen replied.

"That's a nice funeral home. They did Jose Marquez's service." Mack replied, referring to his former boss.

"They did my friend Joyce's service too. I like them and plus I can trust Breena to keep things under wraps. Jimmy and her are as pissed as we are." Ellen explained.

"Do you think he would want a church service?" Mack asked.

"I spoke with Father Al and he agreed to do the service. Tony may have been a lapsed Catholic but he knew God." Ellen explained.

"Good, now where do you want to bury him?" Mack asked.

"I called the cemetery and the spot beside me is still available. It will be perfect; you, Josh, me, and then Tony." Ellen explained.

"I'm glad he can be with family." Mack replied.

* * *

By that night Tony's funeral was planned and burial arrangements were made. They would have a short wake at Slater's on Friday, from four to six. The funeral would take place at St. Joseph's Catholic Church on Saturday at ten. The burial would take place at Eternal Life Cemetery and afterwords there would be a short reception at Slater's. Tony's obituary would run in the Monday edition of the Baltimore Sun. Two days after the funeral. That was the only way to prevent those assholes from showing up and claiming grief. Ellen's parents had taken the boys to get them out of the house, Mack was making dinner and Ellen was sitting at her laptop sending out the emails regarding Tony's service. Suddenly a loud crash was heard from Tony's apartment. Ellen jumped up from her laptop and Mack came running from the kitchen grabbing Charlie's baseball bat on his way out. The couple rushed out of their apartment and ran next door to Tony's place. Mack kicked the door open and ran inside. Ellen followed close behind. Standing in Tony's living room. Were Ducky, Abby, McGee, and Bishop.

"What the hell are you idiots doing in here?" Ellen demanded.

"Gee what a warm greeting." Abby scoffed.

"You have no right to be in Tony's apartment." Ellen replied.

"Why? We are his co-workers." McGee reminded.

"The same co-workers who ignored how sick he was. The same co-workers who forced him to run in the freezing rain. Why do you suddenly care now?" Ellen demanded.

"We have reason to believe that Anthony's death was unnecessary." Ducky explained.

"Your damn right it was unnecessary. If you guys had not forced him to run in the rain he would not have gotten pneumonia and a lung infection, he would not have had a series of strokes. Hell if you all hadn't of been so self righteous. He would not have canceled his appointment with Dr. Pitt in November and they may have caught his cancer in time. Now he is dead and it is all your fault. You are the reason Tony is dead." Ellen explained harshly.

"What he means is that if you had gotten a second opinion on Tony's health, he may have survived. Dr. Pitt clearly did something wrong. He didn't even biopsy Tony's tumor." McGee explained.

"He was dying! Dr. Pitt didn't run the test because he was dying and the surgery would have only resulted in him dying on a cold surgical table." Ellen explained.

"Tony is a fool! He blew off his appointments and went to work sick! Now he is gone and you guys don't even care!" Abby snapped, seemingly having not been listening to the conversation.

"Tony skipped his appointments because you were so unkind to him when he missed a day. That is why he came in when he was so sick! Ellen and I sat by his side constantly until he finally passed yesterday! You are the ones who don't care." Mack corrected.

"What the hell is happening in here?!" A voice bellowed from the hallway.

"We were just trying to make sense of Tony's death." Bishop explained innocently.

"You and Agent McGee are banned from communicating with each other and anyone else from NCIS besides me and the IA agents who will contact you." Vance explained, entering the apartment carrying his gun at his side.

"What are you doing here, Leon?" Ducky asked.

"Jared left his extra basketball shoes over here." Vance explained.

"They are acting like it is Timmy and Ellie's faults that Tony is dead. When Tony was just being an idiot!" Abby snapped.

"Mrs. Scuito if you want to continue working at NCIS, I strongly advise that you shut-up. Dr. Mallard I advise you to keep your mouth shut for the same reasons. McGee and Bishop you violated the terms of your suspension. You are under arrest." Vance explained.

"Nooo! You can't arrest them! That is so wrong! Tony is not worth it! Think of poor Delilah! You are just being a prick!" Abby snapped, shoving Ellen into Mack's arms in the process of lunging at Leon.

"Assaulting your boss? Is that really a wise idea?" Vance questioned.

"Assaulting your boss and pushing over a pregnant woman!" Ellen hissed.

"Pregnant?" Mack asked, in a whisper.

"We'll talk later." Ellen replied.

"It just not fair! Why are you taking Tony's side?!" Abby cried.

"I am taking his side because all of you are breaking the law!" Vance snapped.

"Oh if we want to talk breaking the law. Mack and Dr. Pitt refused Jethro to see Anthony. He is devastated. All he asked for was a moment to say goodbye." Ducky explained.

"He accused me of being Tony's whore and said that Tony was just too busy having sex to come to work. Now all of the sudden he cares?" Ellen demanded.

"Well you are pregnant but not wanting to talk about it around us." Bishop remarked.

"I am only five weeks along and nine years ago we lost our second son to Anencephany at twenty weeks. For that reason Mack and I do not like discussing my pregnancies with people outside the family until after we are cleared of any major complications or defects." Ellen explained.

"Oh so you had an abortion?!" Abby demanded.

"That is none of your business." Ellen hissed.

"It's God's business." Abby smirked.

"It's also God's business that you covered up that your boss murdered a man in cold blood for years but tried to get Tony fired for shooting the man who killed a federal agent and shot another twice. Somebody who because he was a sweet faced white boy could have walked into my children's school without anybody blinking an eye, and killed my babies in cold blood. You should know that Tony cried for months about it but it's not like you care! Because you are a hypocrite!" Ellen snapped.

"Baby killer!" Abby snapped.

"Mrs. Scuito!" Vance cried.

"Shut-up! I don't need NCIS! Every forensics lab in the country wants me!" Abby cried storming out.

"Not after I tell them why you left! They always call the previous employer!" Vance snapped.

"Gibbs will stand up for me! Gibbs is a good man! You and these murderers are scum!" Abby screamed.

"Gibbs is suspended indefinitely and he is not your boss." Vance corrected.

"I can use him as a reference!" Abby barked.

"Fine!" Vance cried.

"Mom? Dad? What's going on? Who are these people?" Charlie asked.

"It's OK, Charlie. These are just some mean people from Tony's work." Ellen assured.

"Charlie did you know that your mommy killed your little brother?" Abby asked.

"No he died in her tummy and you look like one of those creepy monster high dolls." Brandon corrected.

"Yeah well you look like a monkey!" Abby cried.

"Mrs. Scuito!" Vance snapped.

"Fine but these people are monsters and they are raising brats! I don't need this negativity!" Abby snapped leaving the apartment.

"You really should not be teaching your sons to criticize a woman's appearance." Bishop commented.

"A forty year old woman who dresses and acts like a twelve year old girl should not bully a seven year old or tell his ten year old brother that his mother is a murderer." Mack rebutted.

"I see where you son gets his ill manners!" Ducky scoffed, leaving the apartment.

"Bishop and McGee come with me. You are still under arrest." Vance replied.

"Read us our rights!" McGee snapped.

"And say why we are under arrest!" Bishop added.

"Fine Timothy McGee and Elanor Bishop you are under arrest for the murder of Anthony DiNozzo, violating the terms of your probation, disturbing the peace, and breaking and entering. You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to an attorney. If you cannot afford an attorney one will be appointed to you..." Vance spoke, leading McGee and Bishop into the hallway.

* * *

After Vance had left with McGee and Bishop. Ellen walked over and took a seat on Tony's couch. Mack followed her and put his arm around her shoulders. The couple was still in shock by the events that had just taken place.

"So your pregnant, huh?" Mack asked.

"I just found out last week. I was going to surprise you on Saturday but then everything with Tony got me so frazzled." Ellen explained.

"Everything good so far?" Mack asked.

"Yes and if it's a boy I want to name him after Tony." Ellen replied.

"Anthony Dimitri McKaran" Mack commented.

"It's perfect and we will raise him right." Ellen vowed.

* * *

 **A/N: Probably only two or three more chapters left. Tony's funeral happens in the next chapter. New chapter will be up soon. Please review and thanks for reading.**


	9. Time To Move Forward

The next five days were agonizing for Ellen and her family. Charlie and Brandon were at each others throats constantly. Mack and Ellen were not doing much better. When he wasn't working Mack was doing busy work around the house. Anything to take his mind off of Tony. Ellen was spending the majority of her time in bed. The hours she was awake she was sitting in Tony's apartment. Poor Danny had no idea why his family was acting so strange or why his buddy Tony was not coming around anymore. Even Stella seemed different. She had been the easiest of any of the McKaran children. Typically she only rarely cried and she loved getting cuddles from her family but since Tony's death. She cried near constantly and would fight if anybody tried to pick her up. On the morning of Tony's funeral, Ellen sat on the bathtub, trying to will herself to finish getting dressed.

"Are you done getting dressed, yet?!" Mack demanded.

"No I mean yes. I just need to put on my shoes and maybe changes my dress." Ellen replied.

"And then you will have to put on a different pair of shoes and then you will realize that you liked the first dress! So it's back to the shoes!" Mack snapped.

"Oh like you are much better!" Ellen snapped.

"I am this close to just staying with Rodney!" Mack barked.

"Fine!" Ellen shot back.

"If you act crazy I am taking the kids! Especially Stella!" Mack snapped.

"Fine take my family! Because that's fair! I lose my best friend! Why shouldn't I lose my family too?! Ass!" Ellen screamed.

"You have barely been out of bed and you spent all the rest of the time in Tony's apartment! Have you even acknowledged the boys and Stella?!" Mack bellowed.

"Oh like you are much better! How many times are you going to fix that damn window! It's fixed! In fact you are breaking it!" Ellen screamed.

"I took Charlie and Brandon to boy-scouts and picked Danny up from playgroup! While you were wallowing!" Ellen screamed.

"Let's just get out of here! NOW" Mack demanded.

"Fine! I will take the boys in my van! You can drive alone!" Ellen barked.

"Like I am letting you drive the boys! No way you crazy bitch!" Mack screamed.

"Fine! But I am not going anywhere near you!" Ellen snapped.

"Fine kill yourself and our baby! I could care less!" Mack shot back.

"Oh just cut him out of me and put him in your body!" Ellen screamed.

"See that's what I mean! You are psychotic!" Mack retorted.

"I am pregnant and my best friend died and Tony was there for me when you took Charlie after we lost Josh. He saved my life but I bet you wished that I had just thrown myself off the building. That's what I was going to do but he stopped me." Ellen explained.

"You were going to off yourself?" Mack asked.

"I had lost our baby and then you just took Charlie in the middle of the night. I was lost and saw no hope. Tony found me and saved me." Ellen explained.

"I had no idea." Mack commented.

"I will tell the story later. Now let's get going. We are going to be late." Ellen replied.

"OK" Mack agreed.

* * *

 _ **FLASHBACK**_

* * *

 _It had started in the sixteenth week of Ellen's pregnancy with their second child. The doctor detected a possible malformation of the brain but he would not be sure for a few weeks. When she went back at the twenty week mark. It was confirmed that her son Joshua as Mack and her had started calling him. Had a condition called Anencephany. He only had a brain-stem. The doctor said in most cases he would give the mother the option of an abortion but he could not detect a heartbeat and it appeared that Josh had stopped developing in the eighteenth week. Further testing confirmed Josh had died two weeks prior. Mack was called and labor was induced. After nine hours the couple was handed their stillborn son. They held him, both sets of grandparents came to the hospital and the babysitter brought Charlie. They said goodbye and then Josh was taken away. Three days later Ellen was released from the hospital and the day after that Josh was buried in the family plots and Eternal Life Cemetery._

* * *

 _The days and months after Joshua's death were similar to the days following Tony's death. Ellen spent all of her time in bed and Mack did anything to occupy his mind. Slowly the couple's marriage was designating. The two year anniversary of Josh's death the fighting hit it's breaking point. The night of the anniversary. Mack said that he was taking Charlie for ice-cream. Ellen gave him money and asked for a Rocky Road. When she woke the next morning Mack's closet and Charlie's room were empty. She called Mack and he said that he said that he had moved in with his family. For the next month Ellen got out of bed only to use the bathroom and ate only when forced. Late one night she had, had enough. She wrote a note and slid it under Tony's door. She ran up the stairs and swung the roof access door open. She ran to the edge and climbed over the side. She closed her eyes and was about to jump when she heard a scream_

" _Don't you dare jump!" Tony demanded._

" _Tony?" Ellen asked, turning around._

" _It's me and I am not going to let you die." Tony insisted._

" _I lost my baby and then Mack took Charlie on the anniversary." Ellen explained._

" _I know and I am sorry but please know there is still life. My boss lost his family. He was lost for a long time but he moved on. I know that you can too. Mack and Charlie are still alive. If you pull yourself together. You can be a family again. Please just hear me out. I will stay up with you all night if I have to. Just please don't jump. I cannot lose another friend." Tony pleaded._

* * *

 _And that's exactly what Tony did. He sat up with Ellen all night. He sat on the roof and held her in his arms. The next day he took her to a therapist and a week later he was helping Mack and Charlie move back home. Four months after the boys returned Ellen learned that she was ten weeks along with baby Brandon. After a battery of tests and many ultrasounds it was revealed that Brandon was perfectly healthy._

* * *

 _ **END FLASHBACK**_

* * *

The McKaran family arrived to Tony's funeral just as the ceremony was starting. They took their seats in the front row. It came as a relief that Director Vance had sent over security to ensure that nobody from Team Gibbs would show up to Tony's funeral. Tony's funeral was packed with frat brothers, fellow cops, the good people from NCIS, and countless friends. It was Ellen who was selected to deliver the eulogy. After the pastor spoke she made her way up to the pulpit and nervously surveyed the crowd. She cleared her throat and then began to speak.

"Tony came into my family's life the day our eldest son was born. I was in labor and he helped me to the hospital. Since my husband, Mack could not get away from his job as a paramedic. Tony stayed with me and helped me through the delivery. Two years later Mack and I suffered a miscarriage that tore our family apart. For two years Mack and me were on the brink of divorce. On the anniversary of our son's death. Mack had enough and walked out on me. For two weeks were were apart. I was going to commit suicide. When Tony saved my life. He pulled me from the roof and talked to me all night. Because of him I have four more children. My other two sons and infant daughter who are here right now and our hopefully healthy baby. Tony was the backbone of our family. I do not know how we will survive without Uncle Tony but I know that we have to and that we will. Because Tony would have it no other way."

* * *

Abby paced around Gibbs' basement. Her life had fallen apart in the past five days and it was all Tony's fault. Bishop and McGee were in prison and Gibbs and her had been fired. Ducky had up and left and Vance did not care at all. Jimmy would not talk to her nor would anyone else who remained at NCIS. She hated Tony and she hated director Vance. She hated Tony's neighbors and anyone else who had put her in this position. Her pacing turned to running and she began bumping into everything in the basement and knocking tools over.

"Slow down!" Gibbs demanded.

"Sorry! I am freaking out!" Abby snapped.

"Well you are trashing my basement!" Gibbs bellowed.

"I know that you are as upset as I am." Abby remarked.

"I am" Gibbs agreed.

"Good! You need to be mad! You need to be burning with rage! We lost our jobs and Bishop and Timmy are in prison! Because of those assholes next-door to Tony!" Abby snapped.

"No Abby. I am not mad at them. I am mad at myself and I am upset that I blew my chance to say one last goodbye to my Tony." Gibbs explained.

"Don't waste time on him. He is useless." Abby smirked.

"Don't every say that!" Gibbs warned.

"You never stopped me before." Abby recalled.

"I know and that is why we are in this God Dammed mess." Gibbs replied, in a broken tone.

* * *

Jimmy watched as Victoria took feeble steps around the living room. She had started walking that afternoon and had not stopped since. Jimmy and Breena had acted the same way that all first time parents had. They had taken pictures and videos, called their families, and made the big announcement on Facebook. Jimmy had started to call Tony. Until he remembered that his friend was dead and he had been back from Tony's funeral less than an hour. That revelation had destroyed Jimmy's happiness. He wept and mourned for his fallen friend.

"Jimmy?" Breena called.

"What is it?" Jimmy asked.

"I was thinking. Tori is growing up and she is so happy and independent." Breena explained.

"Yeah?" Breena asked.

"She deserves siblings." Breena replied.

"Wow it's true what they say about the hormone that makes you forget." Jimmy laughed.

"Come on James! You are a doctor!" Breena teased.

"Are you saying that you are pregnant?" Jimmy asked.

"No" Breena laughed.

"So what are you saying?" Jimmy asked.

"I want to another baby but I do not want to get pregnant again. At least not now. I want to go back to our original plan of adoption but we got our new baby. I want to adopt an older kid around Victoria's age or older." Breena explained.

"Let's call the agency on Monday." Jimmy said, patting her on the shoulders.

"I can't wait." Breena replied.

"It will be a while." Jimmy reminded.

"I don't care." Breena assured.

* * *

That night Ellen sat on the floor of Tony's apartment. Mack came in and sat beside her. He put his hands on her shoulders and gently pulled her into a hug. Ellen buried her face in his chest and began to sob. After a while she pulled away and handed Mack the document she had been reading. It was Tony's will.

"He made us the main beneficiaries." Ellen explained.

"I know" Mack replied.

"Mack he had a hell of a lot more money than I thought. I mean I know he got something from his mom's estate when he turned twenty-five but kept it in the English banks to keep Senior from digging his fingers in it. I was expecting a few thousand but Mack it was three million and he left us half a million. We need to set some aside for taxes and he had a few requests but most of it is just for us and our family." Ellen explained.

"What were his requests?" Mack asked.

"He wanted us to put a good chunk of it in the kids college funds and he wants us to put Brandon in some piano program at Julliard. Apparently he is a prodigy but mainly he wants us to have a bigger house. We can either buy a house or buy Tony's apartment and knock the wall down. We can make new bedrooms out of the living room of Tony's place." Ellen explained.

"That would be the same as buying a new house." Mack explained.

"True and besides I do not think I can live in Tony's apartment." Ellen explained.

"Me either." Mack replied.

"We will begin looking on Monday." Ellen said.

"For our new life." Mack replied.

* * *

 **A/N: Next chapter will be the last. New chapter will be up soon. Please review and thanks for reading.**


	10. Epilogue: Life Goes On

The Palmer's were pleasantly surprised that their little family would be growing not by one but by two. They began the process of adoption one week after Tony's death and it was not long before they found a boy in Vietnamese orphanage about four months into the process and today they would be bringing him home. Two months after beginning the adoption process Breena discovered that she was pregnant with their second natural child. Allen Patrick was two years old, three months to the day older than Victoria. Recently they had learned that the baby they were carrying was another boy. His name would be Anthony Theodore. Due to the late stage of Breena's pregnancy the newest member of the family was being brought to the states by a representative from the orphanage. First thing in the morning The Palmer's loaded Victoria into their new van and headed for the air-port.

"Can you believe that we are going to meet Allen today?" Jimmy asked.

"I know it's crazy. I can't wait." Breena replied.

"And then in two months we get to meet Anthony." Jimmy replied.

"Do you think Tori will mind being the only girl?" Breena asked.

"We can always adopt a girl later on." Jimmy reminded.

"No more brothers!" Tori cried, only hearing the word adopt.

"It's OK no more brothers for a while." Jimmy assured.

"And no more babies, from mommy's tummy." Breena laughed.

"You said the same thing after Victoria." Jimmy reminded.

"Tori was a breeze compared to Anthony." Breena reminded.

* * *

Jimmy pulled into the airport parking lot and parked the car. Breena grabbed Victoria and the small diaper bag they were carrying. While Jimmy walked inside carrying the sign with Allen's name written on it. They stood in the airport holding the sign. Until two Vietnamese woman approached them. One of whom was holding Allen in her arms.

"Mr. and Mrs. Palmer, this is Allen." The translator spoke.

"Nice to meet you Allen, I am your new daddy." Jimmy said.

"Hi" Allen replied shyly.

"And I am your new mommy and this is your new little sister Victoria?" Breena asked.

"Sister?" Allen asked.

"Yes, you have a sister and in a few months you get a new brother." Breena explained.

"Cool" Allen replied.

"If you will come with us, we have some more paperwork and then he is all yours." The translator spoke.

"OK" Breena replied.

* * *

The Palmer's followed the orphanage worker and the translator to a small office. They took a seat at the table and set Tori and Allen down on the floor. Tori stood up and toddled over to to her new brother and sat down. Allen looked up at his new sister and smiled. He didn't know much English but they had started teaching him when it was learned that he was being adopted to an American family. He liked the idea of having a little sister and a little brother. He had an older sister but she had been adopted not long after arriving to the orphanage.

"Hi" Allen greeted.

"Hi" Tori replied.

"Trucks?" Allen asked.

"No, princesses?" Tori asked.

"No, dogs?" Allen asked.

"No, cats?" Tori asked.

"No, music?" Allen asked.

"Yes!" Tori cried.

"Like dance" Allen replied.

"I like sing." Tori replied.

"OK!" Allen cried.

* * *

The Palmer's were not the only ones who learned that they were getting more than one baby. Ellen and Mack were shocked to learn that they were carrying a set of twins. A girl and a boy. They had not decided on the girl's name yet but the boy was to be named for Tony. On the day the Palmer's were meeting Allen. The McKaran family was awaiting their new arrivals. Ellen was three centimeters and fifty percent effaced. In short the twins were due to arrive any time now.

"Oh!" Ellen cried.

"What's wrong?" Mack asked.

"I had a contraction!" Ellen cried.

"Your first?" Mack asked.

"Yes" Ellen replied.

"Do you want to go to the hospital?" Mack asked.

"Not yet, I want to wait until I am further along. I don't want to sit around for that long." Ellen explained.

"OK" Mack replied.

* * *

That afternoon Mack had gone to collect the boys from school, Ellen stood in the living room of her new home. She still could not believe that she owned this place. It was a bright and spacious house with a large back yard, with an above ground pool on one side. Due to Mack having to resuscitate children who had fallen into pools. They had not only put an alarm on the gate leading to the pool and an electrified fence on the outside of the large privacy fence that surrounded the pool. They also had a motion sensor and camera on the inside of the fence. The inside of the house was equally impressive. They had a huge living room, a handicapped accessible bathroom, and a stunning kitchen/dinning area downstairs. Upstairs were four bedrooms and two bathrooms. Ellen and Mack had a lovely master bedroom, Danny and Stella each had their own rooms upstairs and the twins had a shared nursery. A friend of Mack's had built two rooms for Charlie and Brandon in the basement. As much as Ellen adored her new home. It broke her heart that the only reason she was living there. Was because Tony had died.

"Thank you Tony, we love it here." Ellen whispered.

* * *

Ellen sat up in her hospital bed. Her water had broken shortly after Mack returned home with the boys. Her parents were called to babysit Brandon, Danny, and Stella, Charlie insisted on going with his parents to the hospital. Even after they reminded him that it would probably be really boring. Ellen's OBG/YN, Dr. Tyler walked into the room and instructed Ellen to lie back, and put her legs in the stirrups.

"Congratulations Ellen it is time to push." Dr. Tyler said.

"Awesome" Mack replied.

"Great" Ellen agreed.

* * *

Mack went out to the waiting room and told Charlie the news. The preteen agreed to text his grandparents and tell them to bring the other children to meet their new brother and sister. Before going back into the room. After half an hour of pushing. The first cries of baby A were heard.

"It's a boy!" Dr. Tyler called.

"That is Anthony Dimitri." Ellen said.

"He is six pounds seven ounces, eighteen inches long." Nurse Marie said placing him into Ellen's arms.

"OK Ellen give me another big push and baby girl should be out any second." Dr. Tyler replied.

It was only five minutes of pushing to get baby girl out. The doctors had to give her a couple of hard slaps to get her to cry but once she did. It became clear that her heart and lungs were perfectly fine. She was just a bit shy.

"And here's your girl!" Dr. Tyler cried.

"What should we call her?" Ellen asked.

"Tony said that if he ever had a daughter he wanted to name her Elizabeth after his mother." Mack recalled.

"Elizabeth McKaran. Can her middle name be Ellen?" Ellen asked.

"Elizabeth Ellen McKaran" Mack repeated.

"Elizabeth is five pounds eight ounces and seventeen inches." Nurse Marie said, placing her into Ellen's arms.

* * *

 _ **20 YEARS LATER**_

* * *

They say time heals all wounds and while it took the McKaran's and the Palmer's accept that fact. For a long time they were broken over the loss of Anthony DiNozzo. So much changed in that twenty years. All six McKaran children attended Ohio State University; Stella was currently a senior studying to be a veterinarian, and Elizabeth and Tony were juniors. Elizabeth was studying to be a nurse and Tony a paramedic. Charlie had graduated with honors and was now a police officer in Baltimore, Brandon was now a concert pianist, Danny had graduated two years prior and was a teacher.

* * *

Five years after Allen was adopted and Anthony was born, the Palmer's adopted a newborn girl named Jasmine. Jimmy ended up leaving NCIS not long after the incident as he now referred to it. He now ran Slater's mortuary. Ed had died fifteen years prior and retired shortly after Jimmy began working there. Breena had become a stay at home mom after adopting Jasmine though she did start doing volunteer work after Jazz started school. The two eldest Palmer children had graduated from Georgetown University. Allen was now a mortician and Tori was studying to be a surgeon. Anthony was studying at Auburn University. He would be male nurse upon graduation in the spring, Jasmine was a Junior in high school. She planned to attend Ithaca University and study to be a film director.

* * *

As for Tony's former family. Neither the Palmer's northe McKaran's cared to keep close tabs on any of them. Though Jimmy did attend Ducky's funeral when he died in his sleep seventeen years prior. Gibbs ended up moving to Mexico shortly after Tony's death and nobody had heard a word from him since. They didn't even know if he was still alive. Abby was now working as a cashier at the Hot Topic in the Georgetown Mall. She never married or had children but every year or so she would try to contact the Palmer's and Director Vance. Director Vance had retired from NCIS seven years prior and had moved back home to Chicago. Bishop and McGee got twenty five years each for their crimes, neither were eligible for parole and neither were allowed to contact anyone from their past lives.

* * *

Today was a very special day for the Palmer and McKaran families today Danial Maddox McKaran was marrying the love of his life. Victoria Elizabeth Palmer. It was a small ceremony. Only the Palmer and McKaran families and a few close friends. Charlie had been married to a woman named Michelle for five years and had a two year old son Tyler Anthony and Brandon had been married for two. His wife's name was Kimmy and they had a seven month old daughter Ella. Even being happily married the eldest McKaran boys delighted in tormenting their younger brother about tying the knot. Danny was used to teasing and just grinned and bared it.

"Do you Danial Maddox McKaran take Victoria Elizabeth Palmer to be your lawfully wedded wife?" Reverend James asked.

"I do" Danny replied.

"And do you Victoria Elizabeth Palmer take Danial Maddox McKaran to be your lawfully wedded husband?" Rev. James asked.

"I do" Tori replied.

"Then by the power vested in me. I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride." Rev. James replied.

* * *

 _ **Thirty Years Later**_

* * *

Thirty years after the marriage of her middle son. Ellen sat alone in her now empty home. Mack had passed away two years prior. He just didn't wake up one morning. She had been lonely since her husband died. Though she was far from alone. Charlie and Michelle had given them seven grandchildren Tyler, Stacy, Ellen, Charlie Mack, Alison, Jon, and Stephen. From them she had fifteen great grandchildren. Brandon and Kimmy had given her only one grandchild Ella but Ella had given them three great grandchildren. Danny and Tori gave them five grandchildren; Doug, Mathew, Natalie, Tristan, and Louise. From them she had eight grandchildren. Stella and Allen Palmer gave her six grandchildren Gabrielle, Aden, Joshua, Laura, James, and Terry. From them she had three great grandchildren. Elizabeth and Anthony Palmer gave them three grandchildren Jason, Clara, and Zachary. From them she had four great grandchildren. Tony and Jasmine Palmer gave them two grandchildren Tony Jr and Frankie. From Tony Jr. they head one grandson Jamie. It was a rare thing for four siblings from two families to end up splitting off into four couples. So spectacular that when Jasmine and Tony married it made CNN. Ellen was grateful for the big family. Because she as the last of the adults alive. Jimmy died ten years ago from complications with diabetes and Breena died barely two weeks later. She could not go on without him. Ellen closed her eyes to take a nap and when she opened them she saw Mack and Joshua, Jimmy and Breena, and Tony.

"Come on honey. It is time. The children will be just fine." Mack said.

"Yes mom my brothers and sisters will be OK." Josh assured.

"We have missed you." Breena added.

"And you've had a good life." Jimmy assured.

"I've been waiting fifty years for you but I am glad I did. Your family is amazing and I am glad Mack finally got to hold babies first." Tony called.

"OK" Ellen replied, taking Mack's hand.

* * *

 **FIN**

* * *

 **A/N: Well that's it? What do you think? Thanks to all who read, followed, favorited, and reviewed. One last time thanks for reading and please review.**


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